Across
- 2. the ability to see objects in three dimensions, although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance
- 3. an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
- 7. processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision
- 9. the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference
- 11. a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
- 12. conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells into neural impulses our brain can interpret
- 13. the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings
- 14. perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
- 15. the sense of smell
- 16. the theory that the retina contains three different types of color receptors - one receptive to red, one to green, and one to blue - which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color
- 18. retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray, and are sensitive to movement
- 20. the amount of energy in a light wave or sound wave, which influences what we perceive as brightness or loudness. Determined by the wave's amplitude (height)
- 29. nerve cells in the brain's visual cortex that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
- 31. the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
- 32. the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
- 35. the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there
- 39. analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information
- 40. the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
- 41. the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
- 42. a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
Down
- 1. a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness
- 4. the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
- 5. a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
- 6. the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth
- 8. the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or info coming from the brain
- 10. the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next
- 17. our movement sense - our system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
- 19. the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
- 21. pereiving objects as unchanging (having consistant color, brightness, shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change
- 22. the eye's clear, protective outer layer, covering the pupil and iris
- 23. the ability to adjust to changed sensory input, including an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
- 24. retinal receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions
- 25. an organized whole; our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
- 26. the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, blue-yellow, white-black) enable color vision; for example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
- 27. the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
- 28. the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
- 29. the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster
- 30. a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; soundwaves traveling through it trigger nerve impulses
- 33. our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance
- 34. the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
- 36. diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
- 37. information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
- 38. the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups